Pipe ramming is a known method for installing steel pipes and casings underground without the use of trenches. The method is particularly useful for installations in areas where other methods might lead to surface settling, such as under roads or train tracks.
The process of pipe ramming is fairly uncomplicated. A casing pipe is typically positioned on rails or some other stable platform and positioned in a desired alignment for pushing through the soil. A cutting shoe may be positioned on the leading end of the pipe. The pipe is then driven, such as using a pneumatic hammer, through the soil. As the open ended pipe casing is hammered, soil enters the casing. This soil is typically cleaned out following pipe installation. As the pipe casing is pushed further into the soil, in one known approach, the ends of additional pipe lengths are welded or otherwise attached to the tail end of the driven pipe to lengthen the driven pipe as required for the leading end to reach the desired exit or destination location.
Although pipe ram joints are known, a need exists for an improved ram joint to interconnect pipe sections or lengths, and in particular for joints and joint components that facilitate rapid attachment of pipe lengths and that more efficiently transfer energy to the leading end of the lead pipe during ramming through the soil.